I’m enjoying my quiet, decorated house for a few more days until the new year. I find myself hoping that this holiday season has been joyous for each of you; but at the same time acknowledging that this isn’t always the easiest time of the year. Sometimes holes left in the fabric of family and friends seem wider, more gaping somehow. Or distance further than ever. Scars deeper. If it’s not the merriest, brightest season for you, than my wish for you is a sense of peace as the season settles.
The Elf on a Shelf at our house.
Carry – to hold or support while moving. Hold. Support. Move forward. We all need a little of this sometimes, right? To be carried. Not some huge grand gesture, but instead small sign of support when we most need it. The kind words genuinely spoken. A few minutes taken out of the day to listen. The reassuring words when they exist and gentle honesty when they don’t. We can use someone hoping a little harder or having just a little more faith than us in that very moment.
Sometimes we carry each other in face-to-face tangible ways. Maybe by baking a favorite dessert or listening over coffee (or beer, or wine). Taking a moment to send a note or an e-mail. Sometimes it’s as simple as a smile and a hug; a hand held. Other times we may simply carry someone close to our heart; thinking of them first and last each day.
Near or far; known or unknown – doesn’t matter. What matters is that we keep carrying each other.
Oh, my brother
Won’t you stand here beside me
We shall carry each other
And should your soul grow weary
And the strength leave your bones
Oh my brother
I will carry you home
*The beautiful words above belong to Robbie Schaefer. The song is Oh My Brother performed by Eddie from Ohio. It’s proved elusive online, but if you have a way to look it up and listen I promise it will be time well spent.
Those sparkly deer get me every time . . . ’tis the season!
Last time I blogged, I posted a picture of my half-eaten dinner. It’s gross.
So why did I do it? Clearly the beauty of a personal blog is that you are sole content editor. You chose the subject matter, when to post it, whether to allow comments on it (By the way, it would have been fine to tell me my picture was disgusting. It was quite polite of you not to mention it). So why? In a word: obligation. The worst kind of obligation, in fact; Self-imposed Obligation. It has an alias: Perfectionism.
I had this idea to post a picture once a week on Saturdays. This Seen on Saturday was my way of blogging more than once a week without committing to two longer form posts. It worked for a while. Then it started to slip into Seen on Sunday. Then it totally devolved into “It’s 9:00 on Sunday and I haven’t posted anything. Hey look, there’s my half-eaten steak and mashed potatoes – perfect!” And gross.
The crazy thing is I saw lots of great things on Saturday. The people I usually see at the gym around 5:30am gathered around a table for brunch at the civilized hour of 9:00am. The Christmas parade. Pretty jewelry. My married into family around a birthday table. A holiday party full of wine and laughter. It’s just that I never remember to take pictures. I am in awe of folks who can and do. The ones who can capture just the right moment, expression or gleam of the eye.
It’s not that I don’t see those moments. It’s just that I’m more likely to fish around in my purse for the small writer’s notebook I always carry. Film is not my medium and therefore the worst thing to impose some crazy non-necessary deadline on. So I’m changing it. Because (ah ha!) I can. Once a week, when I see something (other than my masticated food) I will take a picture and post it here when I have a moment.
Welcome to one small step to keeping my inner perfectionist in check. Welcome to Seen This Week!
A couple times a week this little guy greets me on my walk to work. I love cats, but am allergic to them. So he’s my cat. I haven’t named him yet, but trust that I will.
Sunday night dinner: London Broil with really, really creamy mashed potatoes (read: butter and cream). So good I forgot to take a picture before I started eating.
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